


Tired Of Hiding

by sweetbaby_1D



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-04
Updated: 2014-04-24
Packaged: 2017-12-25 15:53:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/954964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetbaby_1D/pseuds/sweetbaby_1D
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is in the world famous boyband, One Direction. To anyone on the outside, his life is perfect. He has his amazing fiancée, Marie, he's rich, and has the four best friends anyone could ever ask for. But he may not be as happy as everyone thinks he is...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zayn is an international model. He’s originally from Bradford, England but moved to Houston, Texas to join a prestigious modeling agency there. He’s openly gay and has a thing for tall, muscular, curly haired wierdos.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When One Direction come to Houston on their 2014 Where We Are Tour, Zayn takes his two younger sisters, who happen to be massive Directioners.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With UVIP tickets and passes, Zayn and his sisters get to meet the boys of One Direction. And a certain curly haired boy catches his eye.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Harry, for some reason unknown to him, is captivated by the god like boy and his marble statue facial structure. But he’s happily engaged so it’s obviously nothing more than a fascination with his beauty. Maybe...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Will Harry risk his relationship for something so meaningless? Will Zayn leave the couple be? Will either boy leave with their sanity, or will it all crumble?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

Harry sits on the edge of his bumpy hotel bed crying with his head in his hands, in one of his moods yet again. All he wants is to be happy. He needs someone to love him for him, someone that he can love back just the same. He wants unconditional love. But they won’t let him have that. His image is more important than his happiness, in their eyes. But honestly, Harry would give it all away if it meant that he could have the life he wanted. But he’s stuck. Stuck in this hopeless place where, no matter what he does, he’s judged for it. The only people that don’t judge him are his band mates and best friends, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne.

 

And as if on cue, the same three boys he’d just been mentally thanking walk into his room and envelope him in a group hug, something they seem to have been doing a lot lately. Because as hard as Harry tried, he couldn’t be happy when they weren’t in front of cameras and fans. And even then, there’d always be someone that saw through his steel curtain and knew that something was wrong. So whenever the boys would all wrap him into their arms at once, like now, he’d just hang his head in defeat and cry as quietly as possible until he couldn’t cry anymore or they had to leave. No one ever said anything, just let him cry to his hearts content unless he broke the silence himself. So it was a shock to Harry when Louis spoke up before he even had a chance to get his last few sobs out.

 

“Harry, mate. This has got to stop. We know you’re unhappy like this. You need to find someone that can actually make you feel better. So, with that being said, things are gonna change in Houston. You know, we have that first concert there, then a day off and then another Houston show before we have to head to Dallas. We’re not saying you have to find someone in Houston, but we aren’t gonna just let you sit around moping anymore. You’re gonna get back into the party scene and hopefully good thing will happen and we can have the old Harry back! Cause we kinda need him, man. Management are starting to notice the change and if we don’t do something about it, they will. And we all know how that turned out last time. So, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to help you feel better! Now, pack up, cause we gotta go in an hour. Let us know if you need anything!”

 

Harry nods as the boys walk out to get their own things packed. Harry sits on the bed for a few more minutes before he smiles, thinking about how lucky he is to have the best band mates in the world, and gets up to repack his things, with a new positive attitude.

 

Things may just start working out for him, he may have a chance to be happy.

 

~x~

 

Zayn falls onto his mattress with a content sigh like he does every day, the cushion holding his body perfectly. Zayn wouldn’t say his life is perfect, but it’s enough to keep him happy.

 

He has an amazing family, who support him through thick and thin. He has an amazing job that not only lets him do something he loves, but also provides his family with things that they couldn’t have before.

 

Like the three concert tickets that should be arriving to his house early tomorrow morning. His sisters Waliyah and Safaa are going to be overjoyed that they finally get to meet their idols, One Direction. And even though that wasn’t really his thing, Zayn’s happy that he can be doing this for his sisters, the lights of his life.

 

Zayn is really happy because he has almost everything anyone could ever want.

 

All he needs now is a Prince Charming to complete him.


	2. Chapter 1

"Harry. Wake up, Harry." Harry grumbles sleepily, rolling over and opening one eye, only a tiny bit, and looking into Louis bright blue eyes.

"Why are you waking me up already, Lou?" He says, looking over at his clock. "It's only 10 and the show isn't until tonight..." He whines to his best friend.

Louis smiles sadly at Harry, "Yeah. But Management just called a while ago and we have an interview with Great Day Houston in a little over an hour. And then we have to go to the venue for meet and greet and stuff. So you gotta get up and get ready, and fast, so we can make it in time for the show. Sorry, mate." Louis pats the younger boy on the back and walks out, closing the door behind himself.

Harry rolls onto his back and stares up at the ceiling for a while before sighing and getting up. He runs his hand through his matted curls and grabs a bag full of toiletries before walking into the bathroom. After he's brushed his teeth, washed his face, and brushed out his hair, Harry walks back to his suitcase and pulls out his black skinny jeans with holes in the knees and sleeveless plaid shirt. As usual when they're here, it's hot as hell in Houston. And Harry loves it. Not just the weather (for the most part, not when it's being bi-polar) , but the whole Houston experience. The appearance of everything from the buildings to the people to the cars, the simplicity of everything there, and the relaxed mood. As much as he loves New York and Los Angeles, they're a bit busy for Harrys liking. In Houston, nothing has to be rushed, for the most part. He has time to relax and have fun. One of the main attractions Houston holds, in Harry's opinion, is the nature of the people. They're calm, friendly, not judgemental at all, and love to have fun. He can be himself here, for the most part. And being himself is something Harry rarely has the option to be, so it's kinda perfect. Just the thought of being so free here makes Harry think of the promise the boys made him: "Things are gonna change in Houston." Harry is excited to see if the boys can actually help him. He's ready to be happy.

Harry slips out of his loose pajama pants and pulls on his tight jeans, struggling a bit because he's still kinda delirious from waking up on such short notice, and puts his arms into the shirt, only buttoning the last three buttons. He knows the fans love it when he wears it that way, especially when he wears the white gold cross necklace Gemma had bought him for his nineteenth birthday a few years ago. He finds the chain and pendant in the zipper part of his suitcase and clasps it around his neck, letting it hang low on his exposed chest. Harry takes one of the sleeves he'd cut from the shirt he was wearing and ties it around his head to hold back his hair before pulling on his brown boots and rings.

There's a knock on the door and Liam pokes his head in without waiting for Harry to say anything. "Hey. Just came to tell you that we're leaving in five minutes. So, if you wanna eat or whatever, you should do it now."

Harry nods and follows Liam out of the door and into the hotel suite where the rest of the boys are all waiting for him.

XXX

Zayn walks out of the big building and to Doniyas waiting car.

"How was work?" His older sister asks, pulling out of the parking lot and driving slowly down the road.

"Good. More pictures than usual, that's why I was so late today. But the camera guy was really cute, so it was kinda worth it." Zayn laughs.

"Did you talk to him?" Doniya questions, taking her eyes off the road for a few seconds and swerving into the opposite lane a bit. Luckily there was no other cars driving their way.

"Keep your eyes on the fucking road, idiot. And no. Pretty sure he was straight. He was checking out the girl I had to pose with the entire time." Zayn says, laughing at the memory.

"Watch your mouth little brother. Just because you have an amazing job doesn't change the fact that you're only seventeen and I'm still your big sister." Doniya says playfully. "So, you ready for the concert with Waliyah and Safaa tonight?"

"Oh yeah, totally ready to see four idiot guys singing dumb ass love songs and being surrounded by a shit load of screaming ten year olds." Zayn says sarcastically and rolls his eyes at his older sister. They both laugh until neither of them can breathe much.

They pull into the driveway of their house and go in. When Zayn opens the door and sees his two younger sisters sitting on the couch watching tv, totally unsuspecting for what was coming to them, he smiles and wedges himself between the two on the couch.

"Hey butthead, you're squishing us. Get off!" Waliyah yells at her brother, swatting at his arm.

"Well if I'm such a butthead, I suppose you guys don't wanna go anywhere with me tonight. And here I was, ready to spend a night out with my two favorite little munchkins. Well, looks like I'll have to find someone else to have fun with tonight then." Zayns teases, getting up with a fake sad expression on his face.

"Wait!" The two young girls yell in unison. Zayn turns around to face his sisters and smirks a little.

"Waliyah didn't mean to call you a butthead. She was joking, weren't you Waliyah?" Safaa asked turning to her big sister, who nodded slowly. "See? So can we go with you now, Zayn? Please?" Safaa begged.

"Pretty please with cherries on top?" Waliyah joins.

"Yeah. Go get dressed!" Zayn says to his little sisters who run upstairs at an amazing speed. "And wear something really nice!" He yells down the hall towards their room as he walks into his own room to get dressed.

XXX

Harry walks into the mall section of the Galleria with the boys, and almost instantly, they're surrounded by fans. There are flashes and loud voices everywhere. Some people are more calm than others and Harry wishes that he could hug those people, because they're the ones that make him love these kinds of days. Harry loves his job but he hates the struggles that come with it. He has virtually no privacy, most aspects of his life are controlled by a bunch of dickheads, and some of the "fans" are extremely rude, bitching at him, being rude to anyone within arms length of him because they automatically assume that they are dating even though everyone knows about Marie, and grabbing out for him. The affection is okay, the problem is when he gets hurt and they just scream with excitement because they have the skin of his back underneath their nails. It honestly scares Harry how sadistic some of the fans could be, but he just pushed it to the back of his mind as he made his way to the black suv with the other boys.

When they climb in and the driver pulls into the street, Harry lays his head back against the headrest and closes his eyes, getting as much rest as he can before his day officially starts.

"Haz, wake up. We're at the studio." Louis says as he shakes his friend to wake him up.

Harry opens his eyes and mumbles groggily, being woken up again for the second time that day.

"Sorry man, but we gotta go. Why are you so tired anyway? Didn't sleep too good last night?" Louis asks, looking at Harry with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, I slept kinda good actually. I think it's just the exhaustion finally catching up with me. Can't wait our day off tomorrow." Harry smiles up at his friend. He doesn't want anyones sympathy, but he's happy to have his friends to help him out and make things better.

As the four boys walk through the crowd of girls assembled in front of the entrance of the Great Day Houston building, Harry can't help but think what his life would be like if he wasn't in One Direction, if he hadn't tried out for X-Factor. He knows he would have regretted not going for it, but the thought that he'd have time to relax and be normal won't leave his mind. He could be him and no one else. But at the same time, Harry knows that he'd never give up his dream. Singing is his passion, traveling all over the world is amazing, and the fans and recognition light up his endless days better than the sun itself. So no, no matter how hard things get, Harry doubts he'd ever stop doing this because it's everything he's ever wanted.

As soon as the boys get inside of the studio and all of the noise is drowned out, the boys are walked down a short hallway into a dressing room to relax until showtime.

"One Direction, you're on in five." A short man announces, popping his head in and out.

"Okay. So, while we have time, maybe we could talk about what we're gonna do the next three days here?" Niall says.

"Well, after the show tonight I think we should just relax. Then tomorrow, we can just go out around town and do whatever and meet up to go out that night. Then on the last day, we need to rest until the show but then after, just live it up!" Liam suggests, shrugging his shoulders.

Louis frowns and whines, "Aww. No fun Liam! We should go out every night. Houston is a place for fun, not sleep!"

Liam and Niall laugh at Louis overly dramatic ways. "Actually, I think that would be kinda perfect. I mean, you guys can do whatever, but I'm with Liam on this one. I'm just gonna sleep after tonight. Then go meet some fans and whatever else I can find to do tomorrow before we go out, and then get shit-faced after the last show. I love it here." Harry says, smiling at his friends.

Just as Louis opens his mouth to protest again, the same short man from before pops his bald head back in to tell the boys that it's their time to go on set.

The boys are silent as the walk down the hallway that leads to the studio. Right when they make it to the opening the interviewer speaks.

"Hi folks and welcome back to Great Day Houston. I'm Deborah Duncan and our next guests are the worlds most famous boyband, One Direction!"

The crowd erupts is ear splitting screams that only get louder when the boys run onto the set waving at the crowd and cameras.

"Hi boys, good morning and thanks for coming!" Deborah says, smiling and shaking each boys hands.

"Thanks for having us this morning, ma'am." Liam says back as the boys lean back into the soft couch.

"Yeah, we love it here! The weather is so nice and it's beautiful, just like the people." Louis says. He winks at the crowd as he leans back, spreading his legs out a bit. The girls go crazy at the sight of Louis and his seductive wink and thighs.

The boys laugh at their friend, knowing he's teasing the girls on purpose.

"Okay boys," Deborah says leaning back in her seat and straightening out her cue cards, "we have a few questions from Twitter then the audience are gonna ask some! That okay?"

"Course. We love answering the fans questions!" Niall says, smiling out into the audience.

"Okay! So, the first question is from @hayjayhay! What's everybodies favorite thing to bring on tour?" Deborah looks up at the boys expectantly.

"Well, mine is my nans old copy of 'Of Mice And Men'. That book keeps me entertained, even though I've read it hundreds of times." Liam says. "Plus, it has a lot of sentimental value since it was my nans." The crowd gives a collective, "Aww!" at Liams answer.

"I always have to have this little yellow blanket my mum bought me when I was little. It reminds me of home and feels safe." Louis says, blushing.

"Aww, Louis, that's cute. Mines would probably be the Aviators my brother bought me when I was like ten. It was the coolest thing I owned and I still love 'em." Niall says happily.

"And I'm gonna say this necklace Gemma bought for me when I turned nineteen. It was the first time I'd seen her in almost a year, what with touring and her in University. It means alot to me." Harry answers.

"Bunch of saps, all of us!" Louis says, making everyone laugh.

"Next question is from @iwantthat1D! She asks, if you could date any celebrity, who would it be?"

"Jennifer Lawrence is really fit!" Liam says, smirking.

"I like Cher Lloyd!" Louis adds.

"And I'm still stuck on Demi Lovato! She's hot!" Niall laughs

"Uh, if I wasn't engaged, I'd say Katy Perry! Yeah, she's nice." Harry smiles.

Louis mutters something along the lines of, "Liam and I don't mention our girlfriends, but you somehow manage to fit the wicked bitch of the west into yours." which earns a glare from Harry that only the boys can the see the truth behind.

"Oh boys! Next one is from @veronica_malik2! If there was any place you'd want to go on tour that you don't already, where would it be?"

"We've talked about this plenty of times, and we all agree that we'd like to visit Peru one day! It seems really fun!" Niall answers and all of the boys nod in agreement.

"Nice, nice. We have time for only two more questions, so we'll do these from the live audience!" Deborah points to a random girl who stands up and introduces herself.

"Hi, I'm Abby! And my question is, have any of you met a fan who maybe could possibly be 'the one'?"

"Uh, well since they all already have their 'the ones', I'll answer this one alone! And the answer is, all of you guys are my 'the ones'! I love you all so much and wouldn't dare choose! So yeah, I've met a lot of 'the ones'." Niall answers and all of the girls coo.

"And last question, you in the blue?" Deborah points to another fan.

"Yeah, my name's Layne and I wanna know, who's the biggest cry baby in the band?

"Oh, that's easy. It's Harry by far! He requires so much attention because he gets bored easily and he'll just whine forever if we try to ignore him!" Liam takes over and all of the boys nod, even Harry.

"That's all the time we have today! So, boys. It was so nice talking to you all today! Thanks again for being here and good luck with your show tonight!" Deborah says, hugging each boy when they stand. They all wave to the camera and audience as they walk off stage.

"That was amazing. Now off to the stadium! Woohoo!" Niall cheers as they walk back into the crowd and get into the truck.

XXX

"Oh my God! That interview was so amazing! Did you see the way Louis was sitting, ugh his thighs are so amazing! Nialls laugh was so loud and pretty! Liams smile was so bright it hurt my eyes! And Harry and his perfect chest and shirt sleeve headbands. Ugh, I wish I could meet them one day. That'd be the best thing ever." Waliyah sighs to her older sister.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. No one cares about those weirdos." Doniya says, rolling her eyes at Waliyah.

"Saf, Liyah! You guys ready?" Zayn yells from upstairs to his sisters.

"Yes!" They yell back, jumping off of the couch at the same time. Zayn runs down the stairs and grabs the keys to the Jaguar he'd bought for him and Doniya to share, seeing as in he barely drove, not to mention he wasn't fully licensed yet, and Doniya needed a car to get back and forth to work.

"Let's go. We'll be back later tonight, Don. Don't wait up." Zayn says to his older sister as he walks out the front door and to the shiny black car, Waliyah and Safaa skipping along behind him, not knowing where they were going but just happy to be spending some quality time with their big brother.

"Where are we going Zayn?" Safaa asks form the backseat.

"Doesn't matter. Just sit back and relax and know that tonight is probably gonna be the best night of your lives."

At first, Zayn wanted to blindfold the girls so that they wouldn't know where he was taking them and the surprise wouldn't be ruined. But then he realized that they still didn't know much about Houston and that he could probably make it to the Reliant Center without them knowing. Zayn smirks to himself when he thinks about the way his little sisters are going to react to his surprise. He can picture it now, the huge smiles and the girly screams and the tears and how after they hug him, they'll run up to the four boys, how Waliyah will refuse to let go of Louis and probably just stare at his thighs and bum because that's all she can ever talk about these days, and how Safaa will probably attach herself to Liam like a koala because that's the only thing she wants in life, to be close to Liam Payne because "who wouldn't?!" as she says. And he knows it'll probably be a little awkward for him, just standing there because the only interest he has in these freaking weirdos is that his little sisters love them and he wants to make them happy because he can. Zayn is a fucking model and he's pretty damn rich for a seventeen year old kid and just wants to give back to his family, so that's what he does with his money, buys his family any and everything they want. And Zayns pretty damn proud of himself for being able to do that for them cause that's just who he is.

When Zayn finds the spot he reserved in the parking lot of the Reliant Arena and pulls in, Waliyah and Safaa both look at him like he's lost his everlasting mind because surely, wherever they were supposed to end up, it's not here with this huge group of teenaged girls, right? But Zayn just gets out of the car, beckoning the two young girls to do the same.

"Zayn, how are we even gonna get into this place? There's so many people and we're gonna be here forever if we wait. Can't we just go somewhere else?" Waliyah questions, Safaa nodding her head in agreement next to her big sister.

"No. I have something to get us straight to the front, don't ask. Just follow me and stay close." Zayn answers, making his way through the crowd. Not that he really has to do anything. Most of these girls know him and move to either side, parting like the Red Sea because "It's fucking Zayn Malik, that amazingly beautiful model guy! He's even hotter in person. Move! Let him pass!" Zayn just laughs at the girls reactions as he walks through the jumble with Waliyah and Safaa right on his heels. He's learned, by now, to simply ignore the things people say and just go with the flow. And luckily, the girls were speaking more about him being there instead of the actual reason they were all there. Because that would have ruined the surprise and Safaa and Waliyah would have found out. So at this moment, Zayn is actually quite thankful that he is who he is, simply because he can do this without anyone exposing his surprise because they're too focused on him.

After walking what seems like miles, Zayn and his sisters finally reach the front of the huge crowd of girls and he flashes his passes to one of the men at the entrance. With nothing more than a curt nod, the man steps aside and lets the three of them inside. Zayn leads the girls to the V.I.P area of the arena and stops right outside the door before turning to his sisters.

"Do either of you know where we are right now?" He asks, smirking.

Waliyah and Safaa look around the arena and shrug. "Nope."

Zayn laughs and reaches for the knob of the door before turning to say one last thing to his little sisters. "You guys can thank me later, right now, just have the time of your lives. I love you both."

Zayn watches Waliyah and Safaa give each other weird looks before he opens the door. The room is empty except for a few people, mostly girls and a few boys. Fans, he supposes. And in the corner, those four boys that his sisters can never seem to shut up about. They're walking out from what seems to be a holding area and no one notices them except for Zayn and one other girl, who starts screaming and pointing and jumping around. And her excitement attracts the attention of every person in the room, including Safaa and Waliyah, and they all look to where the girls is pointing to see their idols smiling back at them like they live to see these moments.

Zayn has to admit, they are rather nice looking. Especially the curly haired one, with his skin tight jeans and button up shirt that's barely buttoned at all with a shining silver cross sitting in the middle of his exposed chest and his weird ass headband thing and his deep dimples and bright green eyes. And when he turns his head just enough he sees Zayn and those eyes, those gorgeous green eyes, get even shinier than before and Zayn kinda thought that was impossible but maybe not cause it's happening. And those eyes are staring so deep into Zayns that it almost hurts but not quite. If anything, it's intrusive and borderline rude (though Zayn really kind of likes it) so he stares back just as hard to let this guy know how he feels (or maybe he does it cause the guys really quite beautiful and his eyes are the best thing Zayn has ever seen).

A girl screams and it sounds an awful lot like Waliyah, distracting the boy from staring into Zayns soul. Zayn is mentally thanking and cursing Waliyah for screaming because it was kind of weird with a complete stranger looking at him that way but it was nice to have someone that beautiful be so captivated by him.

When Zayn finally gets his mind back to the present, he sees almost exactly what he'd expected. Waliyah is bawling, her eyes never once leaving the lower half of a feather-haired boys body and Safaa is crying into the arms of a extremely muscular boy. Zayn has to literally drag them to the end of the line so that the meet and greet can officially begin.

"Zayn! Thank you so much! This is the best day ever! How did you even manage this?" Waliyah asks excitedly through her tears.

"Well, I really wanted to do something nice for you guys and when I heard you talking about how they were coming here for their tour, I knew this was what I was gonna do. It was just a matter of getting the actual tickets. Which wasn't that hard, a little time consuming and competitive, but rather easy. Probably the hardest part was hiding it from you guys. There were some times when I really just wanted to tell you and see the look on your faces. But I knew the look if I'd kept it a surprise would have been a thousand times better. And it was." Zayn replies, smiling down at his sisters as they move up a bit in the line.

Safaa and Waliyah smile and wrap their brother in a giant group hug. "Thank you so, so, so much. This is the best day of my life! Ever! I love you so much, Zayn!" Safaa mumbles with her face squished between her brother and sister.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now move up. It's almost your turn." Zayn murmurs, pushing his sisters closer to their idols.

After sitting in the line for what seems like forever, listening to his sisters jabber on and on about finally meeting One Direction and hearing the other girls mumbling things about how sexy he was and crude comments about "Oh, the things I'd do to him!" (and laughing at the fact that some actually thought that they would have a chance with him, he liked boys for goodness sake!) They were finally at the head of the line and it was time for Safaa and Waliyah to go take pictures and talk with the boys.

The girls ran up to the boys, Safaa running into Liams arms and Waliyah holding on to Louis for dear life, with Niall in the middle with his arms over both of their shoulders, leaving Harry standing to the side a bit.

Just as the picture was about to be snapped, Harry spoke to Zayn. "Did you, uh, wanna be in the picture? Or did you want one alone or...?" He asked with a small smile.

"Uh, no. I'm actually just bringing them. But I guess a picture wouldn't hurt. I'll do a separate one." Zayn said, smiling back. His heart rate picked up at the thought of taking a picture with the pretty, curly headed boy... and the other three.

After watching Safaa and Waliyah take about fifteen million pictures, Zayn steps forward to take a few pictures with the boys (mainly Harry.) They move around a bit until Zayn is sandwiched between all of them, Niall standing behind him, Louis kneeling in front of him, Liam on the left with his arm around Zayns shoulders and Harry on his right with his arm around Zayns waist.

As the pictures are being taken, Harry leans close to Zayn and whispers, "Mind staying for a few minutes after you're done with your pictures? I really wanna ask you something." Zayn nods slowly, wondering what this gorgeous world famous boyband member could possibly want to ask him.

When Zayn finishes his pictures, he leads Waliyah and Safaa to a waiting area in the room. They wait for a few minutes, watching all of the other girls take their pictures, until all of the boys come up to them.

"Hi! Thanks for being so patient." Louis says, laying his hand on Waliyah shoulder. Everyone laughs when she almost faints and Zayn looks over to see Harry staring at him and smirking. Niall seems to notice it too, and makes an excuse to leave the two of them alone.

"Hey. Would the two of you like to take a small tour around the V.I.P area? See where we relax and stuff?" Niall asks Waliyah and Safaa.

"Yes, please! Can Harry, Louis and Liam come, too?" Safaa asks, looking up at the other boys.

"Liam and Louis, yeah. But Harry has to stay here with your brother. They only let five people go at once. And since me, Louis, Liam, and both of you are going, Harry and your brother have to stay here. Now, let's go see what there is to see in here, huh?" Niall says, walking out of the door, the two girls and other boys following behind him. Just before the door closes, Louis looks back at Harry and winks.

"So," Harry begins, "are you guys gonna come to the show tonight?" He asks, running his hands through his hair.

Zayn laughs before answering sarcastically, "Nope. Just brought them here to take pictures and get their hopes up so I could tell them they weren't gonna get to watch the concert tonight and crush their dreams."

"Ha. Cheeky." Harry says, feigning hurt. "So, you guys from here? Cause I noticed the accents, can't exactly place them, but they're not American."

"Well, damn. Just met me and already you're stalking me! You could at least take me out to dinner or something, pretty boy." Zayn says, smirking at Harry.

Harrys smile falls. "I'm straight. And engaged. But dinner couldn't hurt, I suppose. How about after the show, you, your sisters, the boys, and I all go out to dinner and get acquainted?"

"Sorry, I don't mess around with married men." Zayn says, turning away.

Before Zayn can start walking away, Harry grabs his arm and brings him back to him. "I'm not married. Yet. And it's just a friendly gesture. The boys and I don't have anything to do tonight, and you seem pretty cool, I guess. Plus, I'm sure your sisters wouldn't mind."

"You're right. They wouldn't. But my parents would. If the offer is still up for just me though, sure. Is it?"

"Yeah. The boys can go to the hotel or whatever, and just the two of us can have a friendly dinner." Harry says, emphasizing the friendly.

"Okay. When we go backstage after the show tonight, we'll talk about this." Zayn says, walking away without another word.

"Yeah, okay." Harry says, barely above a whisper. He sighs and pushes his hand through his hair again, wondering what the hell he just did.


	3. Chapter 2

"Zayn! This place is so amazing! And Niall and Liam and Louis are all so nice! It’s so pretty here and they said that when we come back tonight for the show that we could see their dressing room and where they eat and how they get on the stage and everything, Zaynie! Isn’t that amazing?" Safaa rambles as they three of them walk out of the arena to find a place to eat before the soundcheck and show.

 

"Uh, yeah. That’s… that’s amazing." Zayn says absently. His mind is elsewhere, namely that sexy, curly haired guy and the conversation they’d had. What could Harry, famous boybander who was straight and engaged (probably to some pretty bimbo with fake blonde hair and fake eyelashes and too much make up) want with Zayn, less famous but still well known teenage model who definitly isn’t straight?

"Zayn, are you even listening to us?!" Waliyah says loudly, making Zayn stop and look at her.

"Yes, Waliyah, I am listening. But I have more important things to think about and one of those includes where to take you guys before the soundcheck so you eat. Now, where would you two like to eat?" Zayn asks as politely as he can.

"Oh! McDonalds! Please?" Safaa pleads. Even in his spoiled mood, Zayn can't help but laugh. Chicken nuggets had always been a favorite of hers but after they'd moved to Houston and started eating fast food more often, chicken nuggets from McDonalds was all Safaa ever wanted to eat.

Zayn nods his head and continues walking to the silver Jaguar. "Yeah, munchkin. Let's get you all some chicken nuggets."

Safaa and Waliyah cheered and ran to the car, hopping in when Zayn pressed the unlock button on his keys. Sliding into the drivers seat and starting the engine, Zayn pulls out onto the road and heads to the nearest McDonalds. Safaa and Waliyah continue to chatter to each other in the backseat as Zayn drives. When he pulls into the McDonalds parking lot, the girls practically jump out of the car before Zayn can even cut the engine.

They walk into the restaurant and up to the counter, Safaa already telling the cashier that she wants a five piece chicken nugget with honey mustard sauce, small fries with ketchup, and a small coke. After Safaa is done, Waliyah walks up and orders the same thing, only with medium fries with ketchup instead of honey mustard and a medium Sprite instead of Coke. They look to Zayn to place his order.

"I'll just have a medium fries with buffalo sauce and a large Coke."

"You're not gonna eat, Zaynie?" Safaa asks, worried because her brother always ate a chicken burger when he went to McDonalds. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, munchkin. I'm not eating because after I take you guys home from the concert, I'm going to eat with a friend of mines and I don't want to be too full for dinner." Zayn shakes his head. Safaa has such a strong maternal instinct, even at such a young age, and is always worrying about everyone and making sure no one is unhappy.

"Oh, your new boyfriend?" Waliyah teases.

The girl behind the register twists her face and sneers rudely at Zayn and the girls. "No," Zayn laughs. "It's actually just a friend, really."

"Uh, I had no idea you were gay. No use in having a thing for a male model if he likes dick. What the fuck? Since when do people like you not like girls? Fucking fag." The girl says harshly.

Zayns mouth falls open in shock, Waliyah looks furious like she wants to kill the girl, and Safaa's face falls and she looks close to tears. "Hey, no need to be so rude. And what's with the language? They're kids here!" Zayns says quietly, gesturing out to the crowded restaurant.

"Who fucking cares? I always thought you were straight, but you aren't. So, whatever." The girl looks at Zayn disgusted, ignoring the looks that Safaa and Waliyah give her. "Anyways, your total is $13.85. Your food'll be ready in a bit, queer."

Zayn hands the girl a $15 bill and walks off, guiding Safaa and Waliyah to a table before any of them can say anything else to the girl.

When they sit down, Zayn sees how upset Waliyah and Safaa are by the girls rude remarks. Waliyah's face is red and she's fuming, sending death glares in the cashiers direction. Safaa has her head on the table, her shoulders shaking and though she isn't making any noises, Zayn can tell that she's crying. It breaks Zayns heart to see his younger sisters in this state. He hates violence and negativity and usually, he'd give the girl the benefit of the doubt and still be nice to her, but because of her, his sisters are upset and it makes his thoughts run wild with ways to hurt her the way she'd hurt Waliyah and Safaa.

His first priority, though, is to make sure that his sisters are okay. "Hey, calm down, love. It's fine, it's fine. She's just mean. She isn't worth your time, energy, or attention. Just let it go and relax, Liyah. Calm down for me, kay?" Zayn says quietly into Waliyahs ear after he pulls her into a gentle hug. He feels her shoulders untense and her gaze moves from the girl behind the counter to him and her eyes soften. When she gives him a small and a nod, he smiles back and turns to Safaa. He knows she'll be a whole different story, she's so sweet and non judgmental and gets hurt really easily, so it'll take more to calm her down.

Zayn grabs her shoulders and pulls her close, letting her cry on his shoulder foe a bit before he says anything. "Hey, look at me. You're alright, it's alright. What do I always tell you about things like this, hmm?" Zayn says soothingly.

"Kill them with kindness. Don't let what people say get to me." Safaa says between shuddering breaths. "But Zaynie, she was mean to you. She called you names that no one is supposed to say. And you didn't do anything wrong. Why was she so mean to you?"

"Calm down, baby girl. Yeah, she was mean, but I'm fine okay? You're right, no one is supposed to say those kinds of things. She was just upset and probably didn't even mean it. It doesn't matter though, you know why? Because I'm okay and you should be, too. Don't let it bother, love. Just let it go. Now, how about you and Waliyah go into the playroom and have fun until your food comes, yeah?"

Safaa smiles and stands up, Waliyah doing the same. They hug Zayn, then run off into the playroom. Zayn smiles, watching them happily. As soon as they are out of sight, though, Zayn turns back to the counter, waiting for the girl to call out his number. What he's about to do goes against all of his morals, but all morality flew out of the window when he'd seen how Waliyah and Safaa were.

From the front of the restaurant, the familiar voice of the rude girl who works behind the cash register calls out, "Number 317, your food is ready." Zayn looks down at his ticket and stands up, taking a deep breath to get his nerves in order.

Walking to the front of the store, Zayn leans on the counter and gives the girl a dirty look. She just stares at him, emotionless. "Usually I'm a really nice and forgiving person, but you made my sisters upset and you don't fucking deserve my kindness." Zayn starts. When the girl tries to talk, Zayn holds up one hand to stop her and continues. "Shut the hell up and listen. I don't understand why you would be so rude as to say something so horrible in the first place, but to say it in front of two little girls? That was simply un-fucking-called for. If you had a problem with the fact that I'm gay, all you had to do was keep your damned mouth closed and just leave it alone, it was none of your damn business anyway. But instead, you had to be fucking rude and you made my little sisters sad, one of them even cried. You're an evil, inconsiderate bitch and I hope you fucking learn that you can't do or say whatever you want to what or whoever you want! Now, good day to you, ma'am." He says, walking to the back of the store and into the play area to give Safaa and Waliyah their food.

"C'mon, munchkins. Time to eat." Zayn calls out to the girls. They both fall out of the slide and run to the table where Zayn is sitting. "Hurry ups, girlies. We have to be back at the stadium in about an hour. Maybe even earlier so we can get to our seats in time for the start of the show."

They eat hurriedly and silently, wanting to get back to see the concert as soon as possible. When they finally finish eating, they all walk out of the front of the store, the girl that had been rude to Zayn earlier looking at them expressionless. Safaa and Waliyah give her a stern look and a small nod of their heads, Zayn just looking forward, not giving her the satisfaction of his gaze.

They got into the car and Zayn drove off, the girls chattering excitedly in the backseat. They finally pull into the parking lot of the stadium and they all get out, meeting on the drivers side before starting to walk into the the stadium. They find their seats close to the front and sit down, waiting for the show to start.

After about 15 minutes, the black curtains lift above the stage and the whole stadium erupts in loud screams.

The opening chords to What Makes You Beautiful (Zayn only knows that because the girls listen to it so much, thank you very much) start and five figures rise out of the floor.


	4. Chapter 3

Zayn can't deny it: these boys are really talented, and quite fit. The way they walk around the stage, yet still produce amazing vocals, the way they joked around and interacted with the fans and each other, Zayn could tell the loved their jobs. He never thought he'd be enjoying himself at a One Direction concert, especially not this much. But maybe it had something to do with the pretty curly lad, looking incredibly sexy in his all black attire.

When Zayn hears the opening chords of Jason Derulo's "Talk Dirty To Me", he gets even more excited. It's one of his favorite songs, and he can't imagine this boyband meant for little kids singing i, but suspects it'll be rather hot.

Throughout the song, Zayn can't remove his eyes from Harry. His mind runs wild with the thoughts of all the dirty things Harry could say to him. The possibilities were endless. Just the mere thought of Harry saying dirty things to him sends Zayn's hormones into overdrive. He has to force himself to think of grannies in bikinis and vaginas and things of that sort, because Zayn refuses to get a boner in the midst of a huge crown of twelve year olds!

Zayn watches the girls jump around and sing along with the boys. He watches the way the entire mood changes in the arena when the songs take a turn down a more sappy road. As the boys sing about misunderstood love and second chances, Zayn gets stuck in his mind. He thinks about Dylan and how much he misses him. He thinks about how people always said they wouldn't last because, "Dylan O'Brien is a player and doesn't give a damn about anyone's heart." He thinks about how Dylan changed his entire demeanor for Zayn, how he left his old self behind and made himself into what Zayn needed and wanted. Then he thinks about how he fucked up, how that one night ruined everything he and Dylan had worked for. After all of the things they'd went through, Zayn was the one to fuck it up. And when Dylan forgave him for it, he went right back and did it again.

Zayn is about to delve into his thoughts, but gets distracted when the music catches an edgy tone and becomes more rock-like. Zayn recognizes this song as "Rock Me" because he'd seen so many posts about it on Twitter, how 'a pop boyband meant for kids is singing rock songs about rough sex." It'd became one of the few songs he actually liked by them, but he could feel that slipping away with each second that these boys performed.

Maybe Zayn was just horny and a little desperate, but he swears that Harry is eyeing him this whole song? He shakes it out of his head, but then can't because Harry winks at him, and what the hell is this?! Harry is supposed to be straight, and engaged. But it happened, and all Zayn can do now is think about Harry fucking him like there's no tomorrow. He forces the dirty thoughts away again on focuses on the music before he can get hard here.

Through the next few songs, Zayn just relaxes and listens. He decides that his favorite song is now "Better Than Words" because good lord, how could it not be? And "Last First Kiss" is most definitely a close second.

"Midnight Memories" may be the most mind-boggling song he hears all night. It makes him think about the future. About the back and forth, about the hardships that he wants to endure, about it all. And usually, when he thinks about these things, he thinks about it as if he'll ever be able to do it all with Dylan again, though he knows he's fucked up to much and never will. But today, he imagines going through it with Harry. He chalks it up to Harry being fit and singing the song so passionately. His eyes are closed, his voice is strong, and he looks so into the whole performance, damn near screaming his parts.

All Zayn can do is stare in awe, captivated (mostly by Harry, honestly.) They're all so active and animated, enjoying themselves as much, if not more than, the fangirls in the stadium. It's something Zayn has never seen before, an artist or group where the fans were not as excited about the show than the actual performers. With each moment that passes, Zayns respect for the boy band he had once labeled 'for little kids' increases and he thinks they may just be his new favorite as well, or at least making their way there.

XXX

The show ends and the crowd (even Zayn) go crazy, clapping and cheering. As most of the fans start slowly filtering out of the arena, Zayn, Safaa, and Waliyah stay in their seats, waiting until there is less commotion and enough walking space to make their way to the backstage area. They're sitting in the second row, so it isn't hard for Harry to spot them (or maybe, Zayn hopes, just him) and hop off of the platform and walk up to the three of them.

"Hey." He says, his voice slightly raspy and doing things to Zayn that it shouldn't. "How'd you guys like the show."

By now, the other three boys have joined Harry on the floor and his younger sisters have already attacked the Liam and Louis. Niall is standing there, laughing as he watches little bitty Safaa nearly pull Liam to the ground and Waliyah marvel over Louis bum and thighs as she hugs the life out of him. Then the girls notice that Niall is just there and decide to bother him as well, leaving their targets in favor of of the blonde boy.

Zayn laughs before turning back to Harry and answering, "Uh, yeah. It was- It was great. You guys are, uhm, are pretty good...." Zayn trails off, stuttering because Harry starts smirking and it's really nice looking.

"Alright, c'mon, then." Harry says, motioning for the other boys and the girls to go first then grabbing Zayns arm and pulling him along in the back.

XXX

They move through the arena, showing the girls where everything is and what they do there. Harry lags behind with Zayn, teasing him because it's quite obvious that Zayn has a thing for him, so he decides to just play with it (and maybe Harry has a small thing for the boy, too?)

Harry's voice is raspy from the singing he did, and it only turns Zayn on more. As if Harry wasn't sexy enough before, his sexual innuendos and teasing mixed with the deep, raspy, seductive voice makes Zayn want to just push him into one of the rooms they pass and have his way with him right now. But, he controls himself, embarrasses himself in the process because he can barely keep his composure and isn't trying to even hide his sexual frustrations from Harry. He's just really glad that Niall, Louis, and Liam have the girls distracted and that none of them are paying attention to Harry and himself. If they were, he'd have to hide from the world for the rest of his life.

"Alright, and that's the end of the tour!" Louis says excitedly, causing Zayn to jump away from Harry and Harry to just smirk. Harry was talking to Zayn about his plans for later, how after their dinner together later that night, he was gonna go home and take a nice long, hot shower and just put on some tight boxer briefs and lay around the hotel half naked.

Zayn blushes furiously, causing Harry to laugh out loud and the rest of the boys, as well as Safaa and Waliyah, to look at him as if he had three heads.

"S-Sorry... Thanks for the tour, guys..." Zayn mumbles. "Uh, yeah, c'mon Saf, Liyah. I'm gonna take you guys home and get ready for my... thing later." He said, purposely looking anywhere but at Harry and stumbling over his feet to walk off. He stops and looks around, realizing that they're still in the arena and he has no idea how to get out.

Harry steps forward and starts walking, beckoning for Zayn to follow. "I'm gonna show them out. Be right back." He calls over his shoulder, not turning around. They finally make it back to the front of the empty stadium and Zayn tells his sisters to get in the car while he talks to Harry really fast.

"So, uhm... When and where are we gonna meet up?" He asks quietly.

"Here, give me your number and I'll let you know when and where, yeah?" Harry says, pulling out his phone.

Zayn nods and calls off his number, making sure that Harry has it right before he nods slowly and awkwardly, then says a quick goodbye and walks to his car, feeling Harrys eyes on him the whole time.

Zayn pulls out of the lot, leaving Harry looking after his Jaguar and smirking. **  
**


	5. Chapter 4

Harry walks back into the building, surprised when he sees the boys standing right behind the door, smiling gently at him. Louis walks forward and hugs Harry around the shoulders, smiling into his neck.

Harry looks at him, confused. “And what was that for, may I ask?”

Louis smiles bigger and steps back, leaving his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Because we know, Harold. Don’t think we don’t know, cause you’d be wrong, we do know!” Louis rambles, confusing Harry and making the other three boys roll their eyes.

“Louis, what the hell are you talking about? Have you started using drugs?” Harry asks, checking Louis eyes seriously. Louis bursts into hysterical laughter and slaps Harry gently in the back of the head.

“No, you ass wipe. Let’s just go so you can get ready for tonight.” He nods when Harry gapes. And when Harry starts to question his knowledge, he says, “I told you I knew, idiot. We all do. You’re not very hard to read. Now come on, so you can get ready to go.”

Harry nods and quietly follows Louis and the boys out to their black Range Rover. He slides into the back seat, looking out of the window, worried. If the boys can see something, who’s to say someone else won’t? He starts to bounce his knee up and down nervously, his long legs hitting the back of Louis chair repeatedly.

Louis turns in the front seat and places his hand on Harry’s knee, gently pushing down to stop his fidgeting. “Calm down, Harry. I know what you’re thinking, but you gotta remember, we’ve all been together nearly 24/7 for like, four years. We know you inside and out, so stop worrying. You don’t wanna be too stressed out during your date, I mean ‘friendly dinner’ with pretty boy, yeah?” Louis teases, causing Harry to laugh and slap his hand away.

“It’s not even like that, Lou. It is just a friendly dinner. He seems chill, so I thought I’d invite him to eat.” Harry says, only telling half of the truth.

Louis gives him a knowing look and says, “Well if that’s all it is, I wanna join you guys?” Harry knows that Louis is challenging him, so he goes with it.

“Alright, you can come with. We’re just going… well, I’m not sure. I don’t even know where there’s a really good place to eat around here. I’ll just call him and ask where he wants to go.” Harry says, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Louis furrows his brow, then gives Harry an incredulous look. “You don’t even know the kids name, do you Harry?” The guilty look on Harry’s face tells Louis that his assumption was right. “Wow, how the hell are you gonna take him on a date, or whatever the hell you wanna call it, if you don’t even know his name? How are you even gonna call him if you don’t have his number?”

“I do have his number… just, I didn’t put it in my phone, he did. So, I don’t know what name to look under.” Harry says, a bit guilty because he never even asked the man’s name, yet he was (sort of) flirting with him.

“Just like, look through all your contacts and see which one wasn’t there before. You don’t have that many contacts, do you?” Louis asks, trying to help Harry out a bit. He knows that sometimes, Harry is really anxious and forgets things, and he forgets the big things, the things that should come natural to everyone. Harry is a strange person, everyone thinks he’s a womanizer and so smooth, but he’s so rough around the edges and so weird, that sometimes, even despite his good looks and charming personality, women actually run the other way. And no one ever says anything about that Harry, none of those girls come forward and tells about how The Harry Styles, the ‘slutty member’ of One Direction scared them away with his awkwardness. It pisses Louis of, because it’s so one sided and people make Harry look like a player, when all he does is trip over his own feet and cry at sappy chick flicks.

Harry scrolls through his phone slowly, skimming over the hundred or so names he has programmed, looking for the least familiar one. His brows come together when he can’t find it straight away, then smiling when he saw a name he’d never heard of at the very end of the list. Zayn. It’s so… strange, so unique. It fits, when Harry thinks about it. A beautiful name for a beautiful face.

Harry shakes his head, frowning. A friendly dinner, that’s all this is. Sure, the guy’s kinda fit and fun to tease, but that’s all it is. Because Harry has Marie.  _Marie, Marie, Marie_. Harry chants his fiancée’s name over and over again in his head, a mantra to remind him that he has someone he loves, and that’s all he’ll ever need.

“What’re you concentrating so hard on?” Niall asks from beside Harry in the back seat. Harry slightly begins to panic, he knows how the boys get when he mentions  _her_ , but he has to stay grounded and the way that Niall’s looking at him right now, there’s no sense in lying.

He mumbles for a bit before finally saying, “Uh, just, y-ya know, M-Marie.” Niall gives Harry  _the look_  and it sort of pisses him off. “What the hell are you looking like that for? She’s my fucking fiancée! If I wanna fucking think about her, I can think about her! You all have no say in what the hell I think about, especially when it comes to Marie!” Harry whisper yells, fury taking over his mind.

“Calm the fuck down, Harry. You’re the one about to go on a date with some kid you just met while you’re engaged. I never said anything, you just feel guilty.” Niall deadpans, not giving Harry the satisfaction of raising his voice back at his friend.

Harry deflates, realizing that Niall isn’t gonna indulge in this argument, so he just says, “It’s not a date, a friendly dinner. That’s all it is, okay? It isn’t a date, because I’m engaged to Marie, so it can’t be a date.” He mumbles, more to himself than Niall.

Niall reaches to Harry and lays his hand on his shoulder. “If that’s the only reason it’s not a date, because you have Marie, maybe you need to rethink some things. If you wanna just say friendly dinner instead of date, fine. But you need a better reason for it to be only that because of Marie.” He’s trying to comfort his friend, knows he need the tender truth his words are offering. He loves Harry, but sometimes he’s an idiot and does things for the wrong reason.

XXX

They finally get to the Galleria Hotel, directly across the street from the mall. When they’re in their suite, they all go their separate ways into their rooms. Harry sits on the end of the bed and pulls out his phone, searching for Zayn’s number. He presses the call button and waits for it to pick up.

“Hello?” A soft, angelic voice answers.

Harry smiles a bit and says, “Yeah…hi, this is Harry Styles. I was uh… is this… may I please speak to Zayn, please?” He’s nervous and he has no idea why.

Zayn blubbers on the other end of the line a bit. “Uh, yeah, I’ll get him. I mean, fuck, I am him, I’m Zayn. Shit, okay. Yeah, hey, it’s Zayn. Hi.” He silently thanks the gods, whichever ones are looking out for him right now, that Harry isn’t in front of him right now, because he slaps his forehead in embarrassment.

“Hey.” Harry laughs, know they’re both a bit uncontrollably flustered. “So, I should be calling to tell you when and where we should meet, but I don’t know where. So like, if you want, you can pick the place and we can meet there at ten, ya know, so we both have time to do… like, whatever we need to do?” It comes out more like a question and Harry feels like a dumbass.

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Uh, well, there’s The Cheesecake Factory, not too far from the Galleria Hotel which I assume is where you guys are staying?” When he hears Harry grunt in agreement, he continues. “Okay, well, you should find it really easy. They have really nice food, and the best cheesecakes ever, it’s too die for, really. And like, there isn’t a dress code, it’s a casual, laid back, but not bummy feel. So yeah, that sound good?”

Harry nods, then internally groan because Zayn can’t see him and he’s being an idiot. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll see you there at ten, in about an hour.” Harry hangs up when Zayn says goodbye, and goes into his closet to find something to wear.

He doesn’t want to over dress, but he also doesn’t want to under dress. He settles for a white t-shirt with a low neckline, black skinny jeans and his brown boots, a black jacket unbuttoned over the shirt, and a navy blue beanie to hold his unruly hair in. He lays the outfit out on the bed and jumps in the shower really quick.

The door opens and Louis peaks his head around the curtain, as always. Harry swear the man has no sense of privacy. “So, where the hell are we going, and what time?” He laughs when Harry looks at him sideways. “I was serious about coming with you guys. Mostly cause I wanna eat nice food instead of hotel room service, but also to check out the truth behind this ‘friendly dinner’.”

Harry sighs and tells him the plans. “Cheesecake Factory at ten. Hurry, we’re leaving as soon as I get out of the shower.” Harry says, turning away from the open curtain to finish bathing.

XXX

As soon as Harry steps out of his room, clothed, with his signature cross necklace hanging low on his chest, he goes directly to Louis door and walks in without knocking. Louis is shoving his giant ass into some jeans that look like they’re three sizes too small.

“Who the hell are you planning on seducing tonight?” Harry asks, joking.

Louis just has to take this opportunity to fuck with his best friend. “Gonna take a crack at that pretty boy you’re ‘friends’ with. I mean, since you won’t, I may as well, right?” He says sarcastically.

Harry glares at him. “No, you may not as well.”

“Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, young Harold?” When Harry shoots him eye daggers, Louis laughs. “Calm down, I’m not trying to steal your man, you saw him first, I can respect the whole ‘dibs’ shit.” Louis says, buttoning the jeans and following Harry, who’s now wearing a scowl, out of the room.

Harry mumbles something, of which Louis hears,” …fucking dibs…. goddamn asshole… want you anyways.” Louis laughs and hits Harry in the back of the head as they walk out of the door.

XXX

They find The Cheesecake Factory with ease, it was literally right down the street and around a corner. When they find somewhere to park, Harry gets out of the SUV, Louis following right behind him. “This place is nice.” Louis says once they’re inside, making Harry grumble. He’s still a bit upset that Louis actually tagged along. Louis just laughs at Harry’s grumpy mood.

Walking into the dining area, Harry looks around for Zayn. He can’t seem to find him anywhere, but he knows Zayn is here because he texted him right before they pulled in.

“Harry, I think I found your pretty boy.” Louis says, nudging Harry’s shoulder.

He doesn’t look at his friend, just rolls his eyes and follows the direction of Louis finger. Sure enough, Zayn is sitting at a table alone, twiddling his fingers and repeatedly sipping from a glass of water. He looks nervous, and it makes Harry smile as he walks towards him.

When Zayn hears two distinct sets of footsteps approach him, he looks up, surprised to see not only Harry, but the one with the nice ass and thighs –Lewis, Zayn thinks his name is- as well. The two of them sit down, and before he has a chance to say hello and embarrass himself by not knowing the other lads name, Harry speaks. “Hey. Louis wanted to come along, so I though, since… ya know, it’s a friendly dinner and all, he’s my friend, I thought it’d be fine.”

If Zayn is honest, he was really looking forward to it just being the two of them tonight. But, Harry insists on a friendly dinner anyways, so why not have another friend? Plus, Zayn vaguely remembers Harry saying he was married, or something of the sort. So he smiles and holds his hand out to the smaller man next to Harry. “Hi, Louis. I’m Zayn, I was at the show tonight, came backstage with my two little sisters. It’s nice to meet you.”

Louis laughs at Zayn’s formal greeting. “You seem to have forgotten, I did meet you earlier today. But I get it, you only remember anything involving Harry, its cool.” Zayn chokes on his water and tries to say something to assure Louis that he remembers a lot more than just Harry. Louis eyes go wide in shock. “Chill, man. I was joking, just having a bit of fun, yeah.” Louis says, patting Zayn on the back.

If either of them were to divert their attention to the side, they’d see Harry glaring at Louis like he wanted to kill him. Which, in all honesty, he sort of did. First he’d imparted on their date, then he managed to spot Zayn before Harry, and now he was trying to kill the kid. “Louis.” Harry harshly whispered, “Shut the hell up, you’re gonna make him drown.” His tone was so harsh, that Louis couldn’t even say anything back, much less make a joke. He just nodded and leaned back in the chair, watching the two silently.

“So, Zayn. Tell me about yourself?” Harry suggested, internally laughing at the deep red shade of Zayn’s face.

Zayn nods and looks at his hands. He’s about to start talking, but the waitress comes to the table to take their orders. “Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Evangeline and I’ll be your server tonight. I’ll go on and take your orders, if you’re ready?” She asks sweetly, pulling out a pad and pen.

Harry looks at Louis helplessly, then they both look to Zayn. Zayn realizes what’s going on and orders something he knows he enjoys, and suspects the other two will. “Uh, yeah. Can I, um… Can I get a Macaroni and Cheese Burger?” He says. When Harry and Louis shoot him a weird look, Zayn laughs and explains. “It’s like, a regular burger, but with a fried ball of macaroni and cheese on the top and drenched in liquid cheese. It may sound weird, but it’s fucking… I mean, it’s amazing.” He says.

Harry nods and tells the lady, “Yeah, I’ll take one of those, as well.” Louis raises his hand to say he will, too. After giving the waitress an order for a Coke for Louis, a Pepsi for Harry, and a Sprite for Zayn, the three of them settle back into their seats and Harry and Louis wait for Zayn to start telling them about himself.

“Yeah, so uh… I’m originally from Bradford, I moved here right before I turned fifteen. I did a little like, amateur modeling back home, and they asked like, if I’d like to get into it seriously. So, I mean, I said yeah, of course. I sort of love being in front of  the camera, with, ya know, people admiring me and knowing who I am, it’s just… yeah. Anyways, the company that wanted to recruit me was here in Houston, they said, like ya know, they’d pay for the move and all… all I had to do was sign a three year contract. So yeah, I’ve been here for about a year and a half, and…”

Zayn is interrupted by Harry questioning him. “Wait, how is that possible? You said you’ve only been here for a year and a half, but you came when you were only fourteen, so you’d be like, fifteen right now…” Harry says, confused.

“Actually, I’m sixteen, seventeen in a few months.” Zayn answers.

Louis mouth falls open and Harry can’t stop staring at Zayn. But this time, it’s not his face that has them acting like this.


End file.
